Adventure of Megan, Christopher, and Evan Michael as we experience the pregnancy and raising a family with the newest Morris. With all the luck in the world it will be a bit more uneventful than Evan's spectacular arrival! Keep checking back to see how gracefully the 3 of us and the rest of our family handle this.. You should be in for a laugh..

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Making Deco-Mesh Wreath

Deco-Mesh Wreath how-to!

For this wreath I started with an 18 inch wire wreath, three 12inch deco mesh colors and white chenille stems. You can change the color of the stems depending on the color of mesh you use. I actually cut the stems in HALF because I was ending up trimming so much off that it was easier to just half them.

Before we start here's a few "hard learned lessons"

2 extra hands do help. I've done them solo (or when the 7 year old gets bored) and it is no fun

The mesh gets tangled and sticks to each other. Pain in the butt!!! Patience.

Your thumb and pointer finger get sore from all the twisting if the stems. (It hurts to type this because my thumb is raw)

You can do this on a table, but I choose the floor and in my lap. That being said, MY LEGS ITCH!!!!!! Not only does the deco mesh itch, but the ends of the stems are pure torture. I should have put on jeans. No lie. AHHHHHH!!

Good luck! The point of these wreaths really is the messier and fluffy, the better!!

I took the stems and fixed them on 3 of the rows of the wreath. You can do 4 if you want to add burlap or another ribbon, but with 3 colors I just used 3 rows.

Take the stems and twist them TIGHT against the wreath. You will be able to slide them but they can't be loose.

Once you start wrapping the mesh you can position them where you want them to either fluff it up or to close gaps you may find. With these wreaths, the more chaotic you make it look, the better it looks.

Pick a place to start the OUTSIDE row.

Unroll the roll so the mesh comes out the TOP. The wire in the mesh will make it curl down naturally, so this is the easiest way to make it "bunch".

Twist the stem around the mesh

As you go along each section, the previous one will slide a bit, meaning the tighter you twisted the stem on at the beginning will show how much movement you will have. (Later I show you how to secure it)

To finish when you get back to your starting point just wrap it again with the same stem you first used.

It will be thick but twist it as tight as you can get it.

Start with your next color on the next row. I DONT start at the same point I did with the first because it kind of gaps. I also don't have "the top" of the wreath until I'm done. Some parts look better at the top so I rotate. (In my case I ran out of blue ribbon on the orange so I just hung the hook where I didn't have blue ribbon, can't tell can you??)

Continue on until you meet back where you started. Finish it off the same way you did the orange. Tight.

Note- I make my first layer big and loopy and a bit smaller the second and the third smaller than the second.

And then rinse and repeat with the last color on the 4th row. Be patient. The mesh gets really tangled at this point.

You can be done if you don't want any ribbon etc!!!!!!

Fluffing and Arranging

If the bunches don't sit right, my problem is always the first row flips backwards. The others bunch great because they are closed in my other mesh. So, for the top row I take the leftover stems and pull them to the front and then back under the bunch and twist them to another part of the wreath.

It makes the top row not get so lost by the second bunches. If you aren't going to add ribbons or decorations either trim the stems down or twist them back to the wire on the wreath.

On the wreath at the top of the post I fixed ribbon along the blue mesh.

Then twist the stem

And trim the stem

You can pretty much use whatever ribbon you want.

I used the two ribbons twisted in the stem. Make them long enough to dangle!!

And trim the stem

To finish this wreath I went through and cleaned up the stems and arranged it for fluffiness using the trick above.

When I hung it up there really isn't a bad way to. These wreaths are totally adjustable and you can touch them up so simple!!

What I found with using the 12 inch mesh is it was pretty see through. It also doesn't bunch like the bigger mesh does.

This is my 4th of July wreath with the 18 inch mesh.

It is a lot fluffier.

Anyways,

So I wouldn't put it on a storm door but on the solid door so left over stems don't show and the gaps where you started and stop are less noticeable.

I'll admit on this one I didn't trim or tuck all the stems. My fingers and back hurt so I was lazy!!